In Bangladesh, journalist summoned for criticism of court

It's not the first time, and it likely won't be the last: Bangladesh's
International Crimes Tribunal has demonstrated little tolerance for criticism
of its activities. Last week, the tribunal launched contempt of court
proceedings against Dhaka-based British journalist David Bergman for his blog
posts on the court.

On April 17, Bergman, an editor for the local English-languagedaily New Age, appeared before the domestic tribunal and was ordered to
provide written explanation within 15 days as to why he should not face
punitive measures such as a jail term, fine, or both.

In February, a lawyer filed
a case against Bergman relating to three articles he published between
November 2011 and January 2013 on his personal blog that criticized
the tribunal, which is investigating war crimes committed during the 1971 war
of independence in which Bangladesh seceded from Pakistan.

Critics say the tribunal is being used to target political
opponents of the ruling Awami League.
As I have noted before, the proceedings relating to the war crimes trials have
been blemished by poor standards of due process.

This wasn't the first time Bergman found himself in hot
water with the tribunal. In 2012, the tribunal accused Bergman of contempt and
let him off with a warning, according to news
reports.

Bergman did not respond to CPJ's requests for comment. In a statement
posted on his blog, he said, "I am very disappointed by today's tribunal
decision to initiate contempt proceedings against me..." He expressed concern
that he will not be allowed to appeal against any conviction, as the tribunal
does not provide any right to appeal in cases of contempt.

The tribunal has bridled at criticism from others. Last
year, it ordered Human Rights Watch to submit a response after prosecutors
sought to initiate contempt proceedings against the international rights group for
its coverage
of the tribunal. Human Rights Watch's South Asia director, Meenakshi Ganguly, told CPJ, "[The] matter is
before the courts," and declined further comment.

And in 2012, authorities leveled
sedition charges against Mahmudur
Rahman, the acting editor and majority owner of the Bengali-language
pro-opposition daily Amar Desh,
for coverage casting doubt on the impartiality of the tribunal. Rahman has been
behind bars for more than a year as his trial continues.Authorities also accused the newsweekly magazine The Economist of hacking the computer
of a former presiding judge on the tribunal following leaked conversations
between the judge and a lawyer that cast doubts on the impartiality of the court.
The magazine denied the accusations.

The credibility of
the any court is dependent on unrestricted and independent coverage of its
activities. With a few convictions squared away and several cases pending, it
may serve the court to focus on its mandate rather than on journalists and
rights groups that criticize it.

Sumit Galhotra is the research associate for CPJ's Asia program. He served as CPJ's inaugural Steiger Fellow and has worked for CNN International, Amnesty International USA, and Human Rights Watch. He has reported from London, India, and Israel and the Occupied Territories, and specializes in human rights and South Asia.

Comments

Wondering what else CPG intends to do to defend Mr. David Bergman and Mr. Mahmudur Rahman. People in Bangladesh need your support from organizations like yours. A mere highlighting of the issue will not suffice.